


Halt

by Sinistretoile



Series: Partners [10]
Category: British Actor RPF, Jaguar "British Villains" Commercial, Real Person Fiction
Genre: F/M, Fire, Gangland war, Plot Devices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 19:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4932004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinistretoile/pseuds/Sinistretoile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of planning a wedding, Amelia is grieving. The war continues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halt

Thomas kept his hands shoved in his pockets to prevent himself from slugging the officer in front of him. He rocked back slowly on his heels and turned to look at his temporary body guard. Eddie shrugged his shoulders.  
“I understand why she’s in cuffs, Smythe. I want to know that fuck happened to her face!”  
Officer Smythe shoved his finger into Thomas’s chest and Eddie stepped up, putting an arm into the Smythe’s chest. “You wanna take a step back, boyo?” He raised his eyebrow.  
The officer took a step back. “Ms. Montgomery assaulted two of my officers. Norton took it upon himself to use brute force.”  
“Where is he?”  
“You leave him alone, Hiddleston.” Smythe brought his finger up again but didn’t shove it into Thomas’s chest. “The only reason she ain’t in jail is because the pair of you make healthy donations to her Majesty’s service and Scotland Yard. As well as individual officers. She should consider a bashed face a blessing compared to what she mighta got.”  
“Get her out of the cuffs so she can receive medical treatment. There’s an ambulance right there and as the fire has no survivors as of yet, it’s unnecessary and distasteful.”  
“It’s procedure and we can’t put her in the ambulance. That’s where Norton is.”  
Thomas smirked. “Very well then. Get her out of the fucking cuffs before you have to put me in a pair, understand?” Thomas brushed the backs of fingers along the inside of his opposite hand then twisted his hands.  
Smythe huffed off with Thomas and Eddie hot on heels. Both had just come from the gym and looked the part of the thugs they were, black sweats and hoodies zipped up. Smythe gracelessly jerked Amelia up from her spot on the curb. She grunted and ground her jaw.  
“Alright, darling?” Thomas raised a eyebrow at the love of his life.  
“Peachy fucking keen, love.”  
“Don’t hit the man or else you’re going to jail.”  
“I’m not the criminal here! The bloody fucking criminal is that Italian bastard! You should have put a bullet in him.”  
“Now, darling, we shouldn’t discuss sensitive business dealings in front of the police.” She waited until her wrist was free from the second cuff before she turned and slugged Smythe.  
“That’s for grabbing my tit, ya bastard!” Thomas grabbed her arm and hustled her away from Smythe before he changed his mind about the cuffs.  
“Let me have a look at you.” He grabbed her chin and tilted her head into the streetlight. Grit and clotted blood covered the side of her face. She had the beginnings of a huge black eye. “Did he break the socket?”  
“I don’t know. I wasn’t-things were happening so fast.” The tears started before he gingerly palpated around her eye and over her nose. She winced and jerked. They both felt bone grind.  
“The socket isn’t broken but your nose is. What’s wrong with your arm?” He noticed the way she held it.  
“Dislocated.”  
“Fucking hell.”  
“They did say they used brute force, boss.”  
“Bugger their brute force. She’s a woman.”  
“You trained me to fight, to defend myself.”  
“They could have tased you.”  
“I removed it from his person and used it on the other officer.” Eddie snorted and looked away.  
“Goddammit, Amelia.”  
“I lost it, Thomas. And you weren’t here.”  
“I got here as fast as I could, ma reine. Now tell me what happened.”  
He wrapped his arm around her as they walked to the Jaguar and sat against the hood. “Babs called me to tell me there were some thugs causing trouble. Wanting free trade and all that. I heard the shots pop off while I was on the phone with her then the line went dead. When I got here, the house was on fire.”  
“I know you liked Babs.” He rubbed her uninjured arm.  
“They started bringing out the bodies and they wouldn’t let me go to them to identify them.”  
“They do that at the morgue, darling.”  
She turned on him. “I NEEDED to know. This is MY fault.” She took a shaky breath. He reached for her again but she shook her head. “I started yelling then they put their hands on me and I lost it. I snatched the taser off his belt and tased the squirrelly one that’s when he belted me with the baton.”  
“I want to take you to a hospital. Right now.”  
“I’ll be alright. I have to-I need to-“ Her voice trembled before she took another deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I’ll go after they bring everyone out, alive or dead.”  
“Ma reine, are you sure you can handle that?”  
“It’s my fault, Thomas! OUR fault!”  
“You don’t know that.” Amelia scoffed then choked on a painful, ugly sob. “Finish telling me about the officer.” He had to keep her focused. He’d heard shouts around back and if kept her talking, maybe he could distract her.  
“He hit me in the shoulder. I think that’s when it dislocated. Then the side of my head twice. When I fell down, he kicked me in the face then the stomach.” Eddie wandered off, disappearing into the growing darkness and the flashing lights.  
“Brute force, my ass, that’s attempted murder!”  
Amelia looked up at the shouting, having heard it this time. She also heard retching. She darted for the fire fighters, but Thomas caught her by the shoulders. They brought the dead out on stretchers, covered with sheets. She fought to get free of Thomas but he held her fast. Eddie reappeared and grabbed her from behind and forcibly put her in the backseat of the Jaguar.

Amelia lay in her hospital bed. She hated the smell of antiseptic. It didn’t cover the stench of death in the rooms. Nor pain, sorrow and grief. Thomas sat in the chair, reading by the light above the bed. He glanced at her over the top of his glasses. She hadn’t said anything since they’d dosed her with a powerful sedative. She just stared out the darkened window, crying silent tears.  
Her deep breath startled him. “So how long do I have to stay here?”  
He closed his book and gave her his full attention. “Just overnight, darling. There was no fracture other than your nose but you have a concussion.”  
“Good.”  
“I know what you're thinking but, ma reine, do you think it’s wise? He’ll be expecting it.”  
She laughed and it was a defeated sound, a tired sound. “Eighteen dead on my soul, Thomas. Nine guards shot and nine girls burned alive.”  
“You don’t know-“  
“I heard them talking in the emergency room, mon chevalier. I heard what those bastards did.”  
“Darling, let’s wait until you’ve had a chance to calm down. We’ll bury our dead then go from there.” He laid his book on the bedside tray then took his glasses off and laid them next to the book. He then stood and closed the blinds into the room. “Scoot over.”  
“Cuddling me won’t help.”  
“I beg to differ.” She scooted over to the far edge of the bed, careful of her saline lock. Thomas lay along her back and draped his arm over her waist. Her heart rate immediately slowed. “See, medical proof that you’re better with me in the bed.” Amelia laughed and cuddled back against him. "Rest, my darling, I'll be here all night."


End file.
